Despite very strong warnings from his bachelorettes about 28-year-old model Courtney Robertson, Ben refused to let her go, keeping her for next week’s hometown dates.

In his weekly blog for PEOPLE, Ben, age 28, opens up about his “strong” feelings for Courtney, while also explaining why he decided to ignore the strong warnings from the other contestants about her.

First Ben defends, yes defends, Court-court: “I know it’s been hard for Courtney, and to be honest, I’m not sure this was the best environment for her. But, just as I tell the women to take our relationships individually, I try to do the same. My feelings for Courtney are strong and I don’t want to let external forces get in the way.”

Ben goes on to explain why he decided to pull Courtney away during the rose ceremony. Ben writes, “As the rose ceremony approached, I had a lot going through my head. All the women told me about their reservations regarding Courtney, and I really had to think about what I was missing, or if this was all just part of the nature of the women living together. It’s amazing to see how deeply the women felt about their dislike for Courtney, and it’s equally amazing not to see any of that coming through in her actions with me.”

Ben also pretends he actually considered sending Courtney packing! “It was a lot to consider, but my conversation with Courtney at the rose ceremony reaffirmed that I have to take these relationships individually and focus on the way she is when she’s with me,” writes Ben. “I see what some of the women were talking about, but I still feel great about Courtney because when I’m with her, I feel really connected to her.”

But fret not, as Ben assures us the other contestants are still in the running as well! He writes, “In the end, my feelings for Kacie, Nicki, Lindziand Courtney were the strongest. More than anything, I was completely thrilled that they wanted to take me home to meet their families. Family is everything to me, and it’s a very important part of this journey.”

TELL US – SHOULD BEN HAVE SENT COURTNEY PACKING? DO YOU THINK HE PICKS HER IN THE END?